Off the wire
GOLF
Tiger in the middle
Tiger Woods started by losing his golf ball in the tree and ended by playing from the wrong hole. In his return to Riviera for the first time in 12 years, he played reasonably well the rest of the way for a 1-over 72 that left him in the middle of the pack and five shots behind the early leaders Thursday in the Genesis Open at Los Angeles. More sunshine made Riviera a stout test. Tom Hoge was at 4-under 67 as the morning side of the draw was finishing. Justin Thomas had a 69 playing in the same group with Woods and Rory McIlroy (71). Woods had five birdies to make up for his double bogey on the par-5 11th hole when he couldn’t find his ball in the tree. David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) had a 2-over 73. Austin Cook (Jonesboro, Razorbacks) had a 74. Andrew Landry (Razorbacks) was 6 over after a 77.
Ko leads Open by 2
Jin Young Ko made six birdies on the back nine in her LPGA Tour debut to take a two-stroke lead in the opening round of the Women’s Australian Open at Adelaide on Thursday. Ko, playing in one of the final afternoon groups at Kooyanga, carded a 7-under 65 to move past second-place Jiyai Shin, a fellow South Korean. Former world No. 1 Lydia Ko of New Zealand was among a large group tied for third with 68s, three strokes behind. Among the nine others tied with Lydia Ko were Americans Mo Martin and Caroline Inglis, and Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall in the second tour event of the year. Laura Davies and Brooke Henderson each shot 72.
Pair lead in Oman
Andy Sullivan showed signs of turning around his fortunes by producing a superb back nine to start the Oman Open with a 5-under 67 on Thursday. He birdied six of his last 10 holes but still trailed English compatriots Matthew Southgate and Paul Waring by two shots on a day when the winds stayed away from the Greg Norman-designed Al Mouj Golf Club at Muscat. Dutch golfer Daan Huizing, who turned pro after reaching No. 2 in the world amateur ranking in 2012, made the most of a sponsor’s exemption and was in third place at 6-under 66. Pep Angles (Central Arkansas) shot a 1-over 73.
NCAA
Ole Miss appeals decision Mississippi filed its appeal Thursday of the decision by the NCAA committee on infractions to ban the football program from the postseason in 2018, limit unofficial recruiting visits and cite the school for lack institutional control in a case involving 21 violations. The NCAA committee handed down its decision in December after a lengthy investigation. The school said the committee “should vacate and reverse the penalties and factual findings because the COI abused its discretion, departed from precedent, committed procedural errors, and reached factual conclusions inconsistent with the evidence.” Ole Miss had already self-imposed a bowl ban for 2017, let two assistants go and disassociated itself from nine boosters before the NCAA added its penalties. Rebels coach Hugh Freeze was fired in July for inappropriate conduct not directly related to NCAA violations.
BASKETBALL
Former Mavs owner dies
Don Carter, the owner who was instrumental in bringing the NBA to Dallas with the expansion Mavericks in 1980, has died. He was 84. The Dallas County medical examiner said Carter died Wednesday night. The cause was not disclosed. Carter co-founded the franchise with Norm Sonju, the club’s first president. Carter sold a majority interest in the team to Ross Perot Jr. in 1996 but kept a minority stake. Current owner Mark Cuban bought the team in 2000. He said of Carter: “To say he will be missed does not do justice to just how important Mr. C has been to the Dallas Mavericks and the city of Dallas.” Cuban invited Carter to celebrate with the team on the court in Miami after the Mavericks won their only championship in 2011. The Mavericks were a model franchise in the early days, quickly becoming a contender and reaching the Western Conference finals in 1988.